Protective cap for gas tanks



w. J. MacN-ElL-L ET Al. 2,080,723

PROTECTIVE cAPToR GAS TANKS May 1s, 1937.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 17, 1935 J. .Maa/Vez?? `May 18, 1937.. w.J. MacNElLL Er AL PROTECTIVE CAP Fon GAS TANKS Filed April 1v, 1955 lzsheetssneet `2 i Patented May 18, 1937 UNITED sTArEs rATENT OFFICE]PROTECTIVE CAP FOR GAS TANKS William J. MacNeill, Milwaukee, Wis., andHarold S. Pahner,

Application April 17,

4 Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements in protector caps for gas tanksand has for one object to provide a protector cap which can be easilyand conveniently assembled and disassembled from the tank but which canbe opened and closed Without detaching it from the tank for use.

Shipping requirements as applied to tanks for the Shipment of variousgases under pressure are that the valves and valve housings throughWhich the gas is -fed to and thru which it is discharged from the tankmust be enclosed during shipment in a rigid supporting cap or containerwhich will protect the valves against such breakage or distortion asmight result in leakage or loss of the contents of the tank. In thepast, it has been common practice to provide a protecting cap which wasthreaded to engage a thread on a part of the tank so that the cap couldbe screwed into position. Unfortunately these cast iron caps are ratherbulky and comparatively expensive and when they are screwed off topermit access to the valve they are frequently lost and the threadsfrequently become damaged to the point of rendering the caps useless.

Our invention proposes then to provide a cap which when necessary can becompletely removed from the tank but which can be opened and closed topermit manipulation of the valve without being removed from the tank. Inthis connection, it must be noted that it is not suflicient merely tohave a cap with a hole init so that the operator can work through thehole because that requires special tools and specialy skill on the partof the operator, it is essential that the whole valve be exposed whenthe cap is open so thatany ordinary wrench may be used so that thepipes, gauges, valves and the like may be easily and convenientlyattached and detached.

Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specicaticnand claims.

Our invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a side elevation of the endof th gas tank;

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a top plan view with the cap closed;

Figure 4 is a top plan View with the top open;

Figure 5 is a section along the line 5-6 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a section along the line 5 6, of Figure 3, looking in theopposite direction;

Chicago, Ill.

1935, Serial No. 16,850

Figure 7 is a side elevation showing a slightly modified form;

Figure 8 is a section along the line 8-'8 of Figure 7 Figure 9 is anelevation of the further modi- 5 ed interlock.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specicationand drawings.

I is a, gas tank adapted to contain oxygen, acetylene or the like. Atone end this tank terminates in a spud 2, which may be threaded,corrugated or smooth as the case may be. Threaded in the center of thisSpud is a valve housing 3, having a nipple 4, for the attachment of alling or discharge hose. 5 is a. valve stem projecting from the end ofthe housing, 6 a packing gland. The valve itself contained within thehousing and forming no part of the invention is not here illustrated.The form of tank and y valve above illustrated is standard for acetylenecylinders and is shown for illustrative purposes, other forms may beused with our invention.

When the spud 2, is threaded as is ordinarily the case, the conventionaltype of cast iron cap is screwed on for shipment and screwed oi and 'fplaced aside Where it is usually lost, when itis desired to make use ofthe contents of the tank.

This threaded neck or spud 2, is of course, the appropriate place forthe attachment of a cap and the cap which We propose comprisesa o splitring I0, the inner periphery of which has two or more ribs I I. At theends of the split ring are ears I2, I3. These ears being apertured forthe passage. of a bolt I4, with nut I5, so that the ring may be clampedupon the neck of the -3- bottle I, and rigidly held there in place,though', of course, when the nut is backed off the ring may bewithdrawn.

Projecting upwardly from and integral with` the ring lll, is the fixedcap member 20. This I cap member, if desired, maybe apertured as at 2I,for lightness and is generally round in cross section and tapersupwardly away from the ring. At the top of this integral cap member aretWo lugs 22, which project upwardly therebeyond and serve as willhereinafter appear to lock the movable cap member in position when thecap' is closed.

30 is the movable cap member. It is of substantially the same size andshape as the xed cap member except that it is provided at the top withan integral cover plate 3|, having a flange 32, adapted to be, when thecap is closed, in continuation of the member 20 and this flange has twoopposed notches 33, adapted to be penetrated by the lugs 22. Extendingdownwardly from one side of the movable cover plate is the arm 34,apertured to engage the bolt I4. A spring 35, encircling the bolt forcesthe arm 34 over toward the lug I 2 on the holding ring. This lug I2 hasa plurality of radial grooves 36 and 31. These grooves are preferably atright angles to each other and one of them is parallel to the axis ofthe tank or bottle. The lug 34 has a single rib 38, adapted selectivelyto engage the grooves 36, 31.

When the parts are in the position shown in full lines in Figure 1, thering is tight upon the bottle. 'I'he integral cap portion projectsupwardly along the back side of the valve. The movable cap portion is inthe closed position closing the open end of the fixed cap portioninterlocking with the two lugs thereon and located in the closedposition by the spring which forces the member 34 against the lug I2 andcauses the rib 38 to interlock with the groove 31.

Under these circumstances the valve and its assembly is entirelyprotected and enclosed within the cap and the cap is strong enough and flocked in place sufticiently rmly so that in shipment the operator maytake hold of the cap itself and use it as a handle for manipulating thetank. The upper end of the cap being rounded is so disposed that theoperator may roll the bottle if he so desires and the cap will slide orroll in his hand without discomfort.

When it is desired to charge or discharge the bottle, the operatormerely takes hold of the lug 34, forcing it raway from the member I2,compressing thespring 35 until the rib 38 is disengaged from the grooves31. Then he can swing the cap to one side disengaging the lugs, 22, andnotches 33, and rotating the cap into the rst position shown in dottedlines in Figure 1 at which point the rib 38 will engage the notch 36 andlock the cap in position. Or if it is desired, he may swing the capfurther down into the lowermost position shown in Figure 1, and thisresults in-displacing enough of the cap so that the operator maymanipulatevthe' valve, may use his Wrenches without reference to the capbut the cap is always still attached tothe tank or bottle and ready foruse. 'I'he cap member 30 may have the aperture 39 similar to theaperture 2l in the member 20.

The. device shown in Figures 7 and 8 is much the same as the deviceshown in Figures 1 and 2 except that the cap member 50` in pivotrelationship with the fixed cap member 52 is relieved at 5L to form ahandle so that the operator may insert a tool or his hand between thetwo caps for the added convenience in raising the member 50 and rotatingit. It will be noted also that the cap member 52 has a lug 53 adapted toabut against the movable cap member 50 adjacent the handle aperture 5I.This assists in maintaining the Yparts in alignment and protecting themagainst breakage as would otherwise be likely to ensue if the lubricatedcorner of the cap 50 were not supported.

In the modied form shown in Fig. 9 the fixed cap portion rterminates ina reduced flangelike portion BI adapted to be engaged by an annular ange'62 on the movable cap section 63 so as to provide a different andperhaps stronger type of interlock.

We claim:

1. A protecting cap for gas bottle valves and the like, comprising afixed cap section and means for rigidly mounting it on a gas bottleadjacent the valve, a movable cap section adapted when in opposition tothe xed section to cooperate with it to entirely enclose the valve andyielding means for locking the movable section in opposition to thefixed section, the mounting Vmeans comprising a split ring integral withthe xed cap section and terminating in radially projecting lugs, a screwadapted to draw the lugs together to constrict the split ring upon thebottle, the movable cap section having a lug loosely pivoted on thescrew, interlocking members on one of the lugs o n the split ring and onthe lug on the movable cap section and a spring encircling the screwadapted to yieldingly hold said interlocking members together.

2. A protective cap for gas bottle valves and the like comprising asplit ring having two opposed parallel radially projecting lugs, anintegral cap portion projecting upwardly from the plane of the ring,open at -its further end and having two lugs projecting upwardlytherefrom, a pivoted cap portion complementary to the fixed portionhaving a flanged end closure adapted to overlie the open end of the xedcap portion, the flan-ge being notched to interlock with the lugs on thexed portion.

3. In combination, a gas bottle having an internally threaded neck, avalve housing threaded into and projecting from the neck, a capcomprising a split ring terminating in two opposed radial aperturedlugs, a screw extending through said apertures andadapted to clamp thering on the neck, a xed cap portion integral with and extending upwardlyfrom the ring, extending throughout somewhat less than half theperiphery of the ring and open at its end, lugs projectinglongitudinally above the upper end of the xed cap portion, a removablecap portion generally complementary to the xed portion having adownwardly extending lug loosely engaging the screw, the end of theremovable cap portion being closed and having an extension adapted tooverlie the fixed cap portion, such extension being bounded by adownwardly extending flange adapted to serve as a continuation of thexed cap portion, notches in said flange adapted to engage the lugs onthe cap portion.

4. In combination, a gas bottle having a spud, a valve projecting fromthe spud, a two part cap mounted on the spud and enclosing the valve,the larger portion of the cap being loosely pivoted on the supportadapted to interlock with the xed smaller portion of the cap and beingmounted loosely to swing in a plane generally parallel with the axis ofthe bottle and being free to move laterally as it swings, yielding meansadapted to hold the cap selectively in either the open or closedposition comprising a spring encircling the pivot axis of the capmember.

WILLIAM J. MACNEILL. HAROLD S. PALMER.

